3pt1 Lessons to be Learned
by Lamby
Summary: The X-Girls Rogue, Kitty, Tabby, Blaze and Jean are not getting along, so Professor Xavier is forced to take drastic action.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

**A/N: **Hiya folks! Here we go again. This is episode 1 of season 3 of my X-Men Evolution fanfics. I try to keep these fics short and sweet, so when complete they can be read in about 20 minutes. I'm not trying to win any awards; I'm just exercising the writing demons that live in my head. (And yes, I do mean exercising not exorcising.) Cheerio, Lamby.

**Scene One**

Previously, on X-Men Evolution…

The convertible's driver was a lithe and thoughtful blonde, long hair pulled back into a ponytail. There was an aura of tenseness about her, her lips parted in a silent snarl as she wondered again about the wisdom of finally coming home to Bayville. Besides her, the car's passenger stood in her seat. Her chin rested on hands that in turn rested on the windshield of the sports car. Red hair in untameable curls floated around her. Rosebud lips were pursed as she soaked up the last ounces of heat from the day. Her accent was English, and her tone excitable like fire near dry tinder.

"You know I could quote back at you any one of a thousand of your infamous wolf philosophies to get you out of this poignant mood, but how about a Blaze original for a change? Something along the lines of 'Let tomorrow's worries worry you tomorrow.'"

"You're probably right Blaze," Vixen sighed, relaxing her grip on the wheel.

"You know I am," Blaze laughed heartily, "and anyway I know you won't let me paint your home town red without you!"

"Personally I'd be more worried about you burning the house down…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In the X-Mansion's new gym, Kitty, Rogue and Tabitha were on the exercise bikes. Out of nowhere, all three were abruptly confronted with a Jamie each. Multiple grinned and said something. All three girls removed an earphone and asked "What?" at the same time.

"I said," Jamie repeated, "how come when this room has a built in sound system, you three all have MP3 players on instead?"

"We, like totally couldn't agree what to play," explained Kitty.

"Yeah," Tabitha agreed, "no way am I listening to Rogue's taste in music. My eardrums would explode!"

"Ya can't talk," Rogue argued, "I know what you're listening to Tabby…"

"Like I said," Kitty glowered at her friends. "We just couldn't agree."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Do you think you'll be gone long?"

"You gonna miss me?" Gambit sounded pleasantly surprised, grinning cheekily. Blaze rolled her eyes and refused to answer, so Remy continued, "I try an' be back for Halloween Cherie, if you gonna have a treat for ole Gambit?"

"Actually," Blaze said seriously, "I was going to egg your bedroom window and let the air out of your bike tyres, but if you're not back then I'll have to find another victim." Gambit chuckled, shaking his head. He went to leave. Blaze's eyes followed him across the room, blatantly checking him out. Some of the other X-girls were thoroughly unimpressed.

"Sheesh Blaze," moaned Rogue melodramatically, "stop droolin' will ya, you're makin' a puddle." Blaze instantly looked away as Gambit glanced back to see what Rogue thought Blaze was drooling at.

"Honestly," exclaimed Kitty, "it's like Scott and Jean never packed up and left for college. I totally thought if we lived through that once we'd never, like, have to suffer it again..."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Alone in the sanctity of her own room at the Xavier Institute, Blaze tried hard to cry. She sat on her window ledge with her feet drawn up, hugging her knees with her arms. Dejected and rejected, violated and misunderstood, still the tears would not come. Instead she pondered a hot fury, brooding and licking her wounds.

Angel had dumped her, which was no surprise really after what Lucas had shown him of Blaze's mind. It was the way that Warren had broken up with her that was humiliating. The coward had sent Kitty to break the news to Blaze instead. Shadowcat had stood in Blaze's room, digging into the thick red-brown carpet with the point of her shoe, looking sheepish.

"Look, um, Blaze? Warren's asked me to tell you that… that he thinks you both need some space right now. You gotta both, like totally work out what it is that you want, y'know?"

"He's with Rogue," Blaze said flatly, "Isn't he?"

"Um, yeah," Kitty divulged. "I… I think they went down to Diego's to play pool."

"I hope she puts him in a coma," the fire elemental decided vehemently.

(Roll titles…………………………………………….)


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

**Scene Two**

With a twitter and a tweet, a coppery-coloured songbird burst out of a leafy bush and popped right up into the crystal blue sky. Its little wings beat furiously to gain elevation, whilst all the while it continued to sing merrily. All was right with the world, Bayville basked in sunshine, and a five-a-side soccer match was about to begin at the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters.

From the direction of the mansion came the first team, dressed all in white and looking as serious as their adolescent faces would allow. That was until Iceman got his feet tangled under him and tripped, barely recovering in time to stop himself landing flat on his face. The gangster-cool image was instantly gone as the other four boys; Berserker, Cannonball, Roberto and Nightcrawler, all burst out laughing. Bobby looked sheepish, rubbing the back of his hand with his palm, but he took the laughter good-naturedly. After all, they were a team, and as a team they were thoroughly expecting to be beaten by the opposition.

Out on the soccer pitch, Beast wore the whistle of referee for his sins. Beyond him were the opposition. A moody Rogue wore a green goal-keeping jersey and white 'keeper's gloves. In front of her net stood the black-clad, two-man defence of Shadowcat and Boom Boom. Kitty stood with one hand on her hip, whilst Tabby popped chewing gum noisily. Midfield was a sultry redhead who was busy tying back her long curls into a ponytail. The fire-elemental Blaze had formerly played for her school team, as had the team's striker Jean Grey. Jean cupped the match ball between her hands in the centre circle, pressing firmly on it to see how solid it was.

The girls' team looked to have everything; pace, aggression, experience and skill. The boys shouldn't have had a snowball's chance in Hell, except the girls had a serious Achilles' heel. The truth was they just were not getting along.

With the formality of the coin toss out of the way, the teams lined up for the kick off. There was a small crowd watching, who obligingly cheered as Bobby's foot connected soundly with the ball and the game was on. Magma, Jubilee and Wolfsbane were there, along with Scott, Gambit and Angel who had been bullied into attendance by their girlfriends Jean, Blaze and Rogue respectively. Little Jamie and his friend Golan made up the rest of the crowd and it was Jamie who led the cheering most enthusiastically.

From the kick off, Iceman and Berserker ran a nice one-two up the pitch towards Rogue's net. Jean peeled off to mark Cannonball who was making a dummy run up the right. Tabby and Kitty found themselves backing up, trying to hold their line. At the same time Rogue was calling for them to move out, close the boys down and get the ball back. By this time Berserker had the ball and was readying himself to skin Tabitha. Tabby gulped, preparing to tackle Ray, but she never got the chance. A redheaded streak scythed in between Tabby and Ray, putting the ball straight into a metaphorical Row Z.

Play stopped for the throw-in, as Jean telekinetically retrieved the wayward ball. Blaze picked herself up from her last-ditch tackle. "Alright Tabs?" she asked Boom Boom, who was glaring.

"I had that covered!" Tabby protested.

"No you didn't," Blaze disagreed, turning and jogging away for the restart.

All of the boys, barring goalkeeper Kurt, pushed up the pitch for the throw in deep in the opposition half. Cannonball took the throw in, and Roberto leapt like a salmon to head the ball down. "Mine!" yelled Rogue, claiming the ball as she flung herself out to grab it. Kitty, temporarily struck deaf, ignored Rogue and went to kick the ball clear. The ball bounced away up the park, but Kitty had to use her phasing powers to slide through her 'keeper rather than into her.

"Oops, sorry Rogue."

"Ya will be," Rogue replied tartly.

"I like, totally said sorry!"

"Yeah an' Ah like, totally said mine!"

Kitty tutted and stalked away, with Beast shooting Rogue a warning look. His attention and theirs was quickly called away though as the girls pressed forward through Jean and Blaze. Silky skills on the right wing helped Blaze nutmeg Roberto, then showboat past Cannonball with a deft flick on to Jean. Jean pressed onwards until she came up against Berserker and Iceman together. Kicking the ball back to Blaze, Jean skimmed around the boys on the left to wait for the pass back. Blaze meanwhile had gone for glory. Whilst Jean screamed "I'm open!" Blaze sidestepped Nightcrawler who had come off his line, and took a shot. The angle was too acute and the ball bounced away harmlessly for a goal kick. As Nightcrawler bamfed after the ball, Jean turned on Blaze.

"I was wide open Blaze, why didn't you pass it to me?"

"I thought you were off-side," lied Blaze, who truthfully hadn't even considered setting up her teammate. Jean didn't have an answer to that, but Rogue had a retort for every occasion.

"Truth is neither o' ya could hit a barn door with a banjo."

"You'd know," Blaze quipped back, "coming from banjo-country yourself and all that."

"What's that supposed t'mean?" objected Rogue, but she never got an answer as Kurt launched the ball back into play from the edge of his penalty area. Kitty and Tabby both closed in, eyes glued to the ball as it soared toward them. So intent were they that neither saw the other and they crashed into each other. Both girls tumbled down and the ball bounced away. Roberto seized the opportunity and tapped the ball to Iceman who slid the ball past Rogue's outstretched hand and into the net. The crowd went wild.

"Hey!" Kitty and Tabby glared at each other accusingly, whilst Jean stalked past dejectedly. "It only takes one of you y'know," she told them.

"We know," chorused Kitty and Tabby.

Jean and Blaze went to the centre circle for the kick off, passing the ball between them whilst Tabby made an overlapping run on the left. Jean tipped the ball out to her, only for Iceman to scythe Jean down in a tackle so late it was practically the next day. Beast blew his whistle for a free kick, but Jean stayed down, rolling around on the floor in apparent agony. Bobby and his team-mates surrounded the ref, pleading his innocence. In the crowd Scott was on his feet in protest at the injury to his girlfriend.

"I'm sorry Bobby," Beast shook his head, "I'll have to book you." A yellow card was produced, whilst boos from Scott indicated Cyclops at least thought the punishment should have been a sending-off. Meanwhile Blaze had fetched the ball and was standing over the writhing Jean.

"I'm confused," Blaze said quietly. "You're holding your knee and your head, but I'm sure all Bobby did was stamp on your foot, so where exactly are you hurt?" Jean immediately stopped feigning injury and glared at Blaze, who offered a hand to get Jean up. "That's simulation," Blaze said seriously, "you're lucky Beast didn't book you for it."

"What do you want?" Jean snapped, unhappy that her acting was so obvious.

"I'm taking the free kick," Blaze told Jean. "Go hobble over there somewhere and look hurt for a bit."

"I want to take it," argued Jean, reaching for the ball.

"Nuh-uh," Blaze waggled a finger at Jean. "Don't make me tell tales to the ref."

"That's blackmail!"

"Yup," agreed Blaze. "Now go away, you're cramping my style."

Reluctantly Jean hobbled away, and anyone who was watching closely could see that the leg she was limping with kept changing. Meanwhile the boys lined up in a three-man wall in front of Kurt's net. Roberto peeled off to mark Kitty who had come running forward. Tabby came to stand with Blaze over the ball, but they were fooling no one about who was taking the free kick. Beast blew the whistle. Blaze took a run up and blasted the ball forty yards into the top right corner of the net. The netting billowed as the ball struck it, just as Kurt hit the floor without even getting a fingertip to the ball. 1-1…


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

**Scene Three**

Kitty and Tabby joined the crowd in cheering, Gambit wolf-whistled and Jean pouted, certain that she could have scored too. Blaze turned and ran away from the goal, arms outstretched in an aeroplane impression. Grinning like a cat that had got the cream she ran all the way up to Rogue. Stopping in front of the other girl, Blaze put an index finger to her rosebud lips and 'shushed' Rogue for her earlier barn-door comments. Rogue took offence and gave Blaze a shove on the shoulders.

"Don't touch what you can't afford," Blaze retorted, pushing Rogue back. Rogue slapped Blaze's hands away, spitting feathers.

"At least ya'll admit you're a…"

"You're such a martyr Rogue," Tabby had come over and bravely stepped in between the other two girls. "Get over yourself."

"Your village called Boom Boom," Rogue replied, "they'all want their idiot back."

"Hey," Tabby protested, "that's not funny."

"Funniest thing Rogue's ever said," Blaze sniggered. "Still, that doesn't count for much."

"You guys," moaned Jean, "we're supposed to be playing soccer here?"

"Aren't you supposed to be injured?" asked Tabby.

"Ugh," disparaged Jean. "Its obvious you know nothing about soccer. I think it would be best if you all…"

"Shut up Jean," snapped Kitty. "If we like, totally wanted your opinion we'd ask for it. Think about that."

"So immature," Jean retorted to herself. "You shouldn't go picking at the splinters in other people's eyes until you've dealt with the plank in your own."

"Is it just me," asked Rogue, "or has she lost it?"

"Never had it," grunted Tabby.

"Wish I had a plank," day-dreamed Blaze viciously. "You've got one of those faces Jean I'd never get tired of hitting."

"Fine," spat Jean, "you want a fight Blaze I'm ready any time you are!"

The girls were suddenly squaring up against each other furiously. Sparks literally began to fly, courtesy of Blaze. Beast blew hard on his whistle as he came to break up the confrontation. Seeing how outnumbered he was, he glanced to the crowd and beseeched Cyclops, Gambit and Angel for help.

"A little assistance, if it's not too much trouble?"

Cyclops and Angel shared a glance with Gambit, who shrugged. Reluctantly the three boyfriends joined Beast and went to separate the girls. It wasn't easy. Raving about something to do with Kitty borrowing her clothes, Jean waved a hand and her powers sent Scott and Beast crashing to the ground. Gambit reached out to take hold of Blaze's arm at the exact moment she changed to her fire-form. His hand went straight through her arm and he yelped with pain. Angel couldn't even get to Rogue, surrounded as she was by Kitty and Tabby. He hopped around the trio like an overgrown pigeon, trying to get Rogue's attention. There was no end in sight, until suddenly a powerful voice resonated in both ears and minds all around the soccer pitch.

#ENOUGH!#

Charles Xavier didn't even have to glance at the boy's team, or at the remnants of the crowd. Kurt beckoned to them and they all skulked off to a safe distance. The look on the Professor's face left no one in any doubt that he was furious. Beast and Cyclops got to their feet, regrouping with Angel and Gambit to one side of the girls so as not to be in the path of Xavier's wrath.

"Never," Xavier ranted, "in all my years have I seen such a diabolical and shameful display. Every one of you young ladies should be ashamed of yourselves."

The girls did look ashamed, scuffing the turf with their soccer boots or hugging themselves apathetically. Xavier continued.

"None of you are too old to prevent me sending you to your rooms in disgrace; however I hope you will go there gracefully until Beast and I decide what to do with you."

"Yes Professor," was the murmured response, "sorry Professor."

With that the girls traipsed back towards the mansion, carefully avoiding walking anywhere near each other. With a sigh Xavier turned to Beast, Scott, Warren and Remy. All four looked dispirited, whilst Gambit was sucking his burnt fingers.

"We're sorry too Professor," apologised Scott needlessly. "I…I don't know what's got into them."

"I don't think the girls do either," Angel observed wryly.

"Perhaps not," mused the Professor. He nodded to the three younger men. "You can go. Gambit, have my daughter look at that hand."

"C'est bon, Professor," Gambit said around his fingers, "occupational hazard, dat's all."

"Very well," Xavier dismissed them. The three guys headed straight to the mansion. Scott took it upon himself to try and lighten the mood between them.

"Hey Gambit," he began cheerily, "you and Angel could compare burns you got from Blaze?"

"Let's not," decreed Angel flatly.

"Don' go dere homme," Remy insisted. They passed through the mansion's door and immediately split up. Scott found himself abandoned in the foyer.

"Man," he said to himself, "some people just can't take a joke." Somewhere in the distance he heard Jean's voice, so with a sigh he dutifully trotted in that direction.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

**Scene Four**

Gambit bounded upstairs athletically and took a left down the girl's corridor. Kitty's room door was open and her indignant voice came from inside.

"Honestly Lance, I'm just so sick of them treating me like a baby," she paused, then giggled. "I don't mind being _**your**_ baby… No you can't have that in writing."

Despairingly Gambit shook his head and moved on. Blaze's room was four doors further down. He didn't bother knocking but just went right in. Blaze was sitting on her unmade bed with her chin in her hands. The curtains billowed in the breeze from the open window and Remy had to hop around several floor stacks of books and CDs to reach his girlfriend. He sat down besides her and kicked away her abandoned soccer boots.

"What d'you t'ink they gonna do?"

"I dunno," Blaze replied glumly, "I was just wondering if I could convince Ilehana to move back into our flat in town again."

"You wanna move out?"

"I'm thinking about it."

"Oh," Remy replied. "Okay Cherie, if dat's what you want. All I know is it a hell of a lot easier to sneak down one hallway in the middle o' the night than it is to sneak down the hallway, down the stairs, out the door an' halfway across Bayville."

Blaze glanced at him for the first time and he grinned lopsidedly, before planting a cheeky kiss on her cheek. That made her blush and look away again. They were still a new couple. They'd only been dating a matter of weeks, after their ex's Rogue and Angel dumped them. Blaze was still a little shy around Remy when they were alone. For all her outward bravado and confidence, when you got past all that she had a vulnerable streak a mile wide, and Gambit couldn't get enough of it. As she coyly avoided his red-on-black eyes, her gaze fell on his burned hand and she cried out in shock.

"What happened?"

"You happened," Gambit admitted reluctantly, lifting his hand so they both could see the damage.

"I did that?" Blaze was appalled, and there was genuine concern in her liquid brown eyes as she took his hand in hers. "I don't remember, Remy, I'm so sorry. What can I do?"

Gambit had the perfect suggestion, "You could kiss it better…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It turned out the Professor had the perfect punishment for the girls. What better way to bring them into line than to send the five of them off on an urgent mission on their own? So with great reluctance and no small amount of desperate pleading to be grounded instead, the five girls piled into Jean's SUV and headed out of Bayville. Under the Professor's orders they were travelling incognito, so the girls wore their usual assortment of sensible jeans, trainers and t-shirts. Only Blaze had differed, instead donning black kitten-heeled sandals that matched her black vest top and ebony jewellery.

It was her car, so Jean was behind the wheel with Rogue in the front passenger seat. Tabby and Blaze filled the middle row, whilst Kitty sat in the back with the assortment of overnight bags. The Professor hadn't given them any details about the mission, insisting during their briefing that all would become clear when they arrived. All he had given them was an address, a map, and instruction to take overnight things. They were barely out of the mansion's driveway when the arguments started again.

"Hey Jean," said Rogue, "doesn't this heap go any faster?"

"I'm hardly going slow Rogue," replied Jean tartly.

"Any slower," observed Blaze, "and we'd be going backwards."

Sensing the growing tension, Kitty leaned forward between Blaze and Tabby's seats.

"How about some music you guys?"

"Great idea Kitty," Jean decided, reaching out a hand to turn on the CD player. Cheesy pop filled the car, drowned out only by Jean's off-key singing. Blaze put her fingers in her ears and winced.

"What on Earth is this rubbish?"

"My car, my music," Jean insisted.

Not very discreetly, Tabitha dug out her MP3 player from her pocket and stuck in her earphones. Rogue was impressed, "why didn't Ah think of that?"

A period of gloom descended over the car, and no one spoke for a good while. Jean's music provided the accompaniment until Rogue finally and defiantly turned it off. Silence then reigned, apart from the buzz from Tabby's earphones.

Outside the car Bayville's built-up streets gave way to gardened suburbs. Manicured lawns and neat driveways rolled by, kids played on bikes on the sidewalks and dads washed their cars. Lovely detached houses painted a picture of blissful prosperity. Jean took a left, leaving the suburbs behind. Out-of-town business parks and malls rose up and just as quickly faded away. The highway beckoned, taking the girls west. As they travelled, the traffic bloomed and then dwindled as the lunchtime rush hour came and went. Soon they were turning off the highway onto rural roads, and into the unknown...


	5. Chapter 5

**Shameless Plug:** For Rasa Rainboweye and Corrinth, both have new fics inspired by X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Please check out.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

**Scene Five**

As they drove, the countryside changed. Fields of maize loomed up taller than the car, so that it felt like they were driving through a golden tunnel. When the maize broke eventually they found themselves in open grassland. Cattle roamed endless pastures behind twisted barbed wire fences. A smattering of trees dotted the horizon over which flocks of starlings whirled like black smoke, choosing their roosts for the night. Rogue opened the car window, closing her eyes as the breeze lifted the hair from her face. Tabby was dozing with her mouth open. Blaze was filing her already immaculate nails, trying not to be hypnotised by the passing wooden telegraph poles that carried the black overhead cables alongside the road.

All of a sudden a terrible tinny ringing made everyone jump.

"Oops, that'll be my cell phone!" admitted Kitty, taking it out of her pocket and putting it to her ear.

"Where did you get that ring-tone?" asked Jean.

"The question is _**why**_ did she get that ring-tone," said Blaze. Kitty, sticking out her tongue, answered the call.

"Hi Lance…no I can't talk now…really…really really…no, look I…" Kitty giggled, blushing. "No you hang up…no you…I mean it…alright…bye bye…bye…bye. Oh, he's gone."

"Good riddance," said Rogue.

"I think I'm gonna throw up," groaned Blaze.

Conversation dried up again, but only for a couple of minutes before Kitty's cell rang again.

"Lance, I told you…of course it's nice to hear your voice…I'm missing you already too…Blob did what? Well you don't have to take that…"

"Oh please!" Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Look I have to go…we'll talk later…yeah I know…bye…bye…bye…." Kitty hung up, then noticed Rogue and Blaze turning round to glare at her. "What?" Rogue and Blaze were saved from replying when Kitty's cell phone rang for the third time. This time Blaze was quicker than Kitty, reaching back to grab the phone out of Shadowcat's hand.

"Hi Lance," she answered it, then "bye Lance," as she opened the car door and tossed the phone out onto the road. Kitty screeched. The car started making frantic beeping noises because the door was open, and Jean cried out as she tried to carry on driving. Blaze slammed the door again, looking pleased with herself.

"Ah can't believe I'm sayin' this," Rogue admitted, "but thanks Blaze."

"Rogue!" objected Kitty.

"No probs," said Blaze. Kitty instantly retaliated by phasing through Blaze to take the older girl's cell from her pocket and putting her hand through the side of the car to drop it on the road. Blaze yelped and turned in her seat. "What'd you do that for?"

"You started it!"

"I'm not the one romantically involved with a member of the Brotherhood!"

"No, you're the one involved with a former Acolyte and Rogue's ex!"

"That's enough," cried Jean, "both of you!"

Just when things couldn't get any worse, they got worse. A huge boom resonated through the car. Immediately, Jean lost control of the wheel. The car hurtled headlong across the road, spinning in a cloud of tyre smoke. The girls screamed.

Jean stamped repeatedly on the break, but the car did not stop until it hit the rough verge at the other side of the road. It teetered, lodged on the edge of a drainage ditch as the engine stalled and died. For a moment everyone just clung on and panted, staggered they were still alive. Rogue was the first to unfasten her seat belt and push open the car door. As she hopped down onto the asphalt, the others followed suit. They lined up along the verge to examine the damage. The left rear tyre had exploded, leaving shards of black rubber across the road.

"Um," said Jean, "does anyone know how to change a wheel?"

"Can't we just call someone?" asked Tabby.

"Maybe if we had a cell phone," replied Rogue, glaring at Kitty and Blaze.

"Did I miss something?" Tabby wanted to know, but no one was listening to her.

"You're a telepath Jean, can't you buzz someone?" said Blaze.

"No, we're too far from the mansion," Jean answered, "and who else am I going to call?"

"Ghostbusters…" suggested Blaze.

"Don't worry 'bout it folks," chirped Tabitha. "We're intelligent, independent young women. Surely between us we can work out how to change a wheel."

"Of course we can," agreed Jean decisively. She led the others towards the back of the car. "It'll be a piece of cake…"


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

**Scene Six**

"No it won't," said Rogue, who already had the trunk open to expose the spare tyre. "Jean, when was the last time you checked the spare?"

"I… I don't know that I ever have…"

"Great," moaned Rogue. "The spare's flatter than road-kill. We ain't changin' nothin'."

"I do not believe this…" muttered Blaze, clasping her hands behind her head and rolling her eyes skyward. There wasn't a cloud to be seen. High above them buzzards circled restlessly, black against the crystal blue sky. In every direction around them rolled endless grasslands. There was no sign of civilisation. There were no farm buildings, ramshackle cottages or even distant high-rise blocks that might indicate a town or city. Up and down the road the only traffic was one fat prairie dog, scampering from one side of the roadway to the other and disappearing into the undergrowth.

"There's like gotta be something we can do," whined Kitty. "Isn't there a map or something?"

"Kitty you're a genius. Of course there's a map!" Jean ran back to her seat and routed around underneath it for a few moments. She re-emerged with a folded map that opened out to tablecloth proportions. Jean spread the map on the car's bonnet as the girls gathered around. "Here's the creek we crossed half an hour ago," said Jean, tracing a fingernail along the map. "So that makes us about…here, agreed?"

"Yeah, totally," said Kitty. "Look guys, we're like barely five miles from that town. We can walk that and get someone to come back here to tow the car."

"Walk?" exclaimed Blaze, as she waved a hand at her tiny sandals. "in these shoes? No offence but I think I'll stay 'ere and wait for the tow."

"No can do," said Rogue, glancing at her watch. "It's already gettin' late, by the time we all walked five miles any decent mechanic'll be closed. We'll have to find somewhere to stay over an' come back tomorrow."

"Eugh," Blaze was not impressed. "Oh well, if its choosing between walking five miles and sleeping in the car out in this disgusting wilderness, I'll walk."

"Right, that's decided then," said Jean. "Grab whatever you can carry and we'll get walking. You know if we keep the pace up then we…" she carried on talking, organising as she folded the map and went to open the trunk. Kitty and Rogue traipsed after Jean, but Blaze turned instead to Tabitha.

"Who died and made her Cyclops?"

Tabitha chuckled, before she remembered that she and Blaze were not getting along. The smile dropped from the blonde's face and she made a break to collect her bag from the car. Blaze sighed and shook her head to herself. Oh to be back at home, curled up with Remy and a cold beer, with no X-Girls in sight…but if wishes were spare wheels, they'd be out of this mess already.

It turned out to be amazing how variable five miles could be. The girls walked for hours, and the mysterious town Kitty had found on the map still had not materialised. The sun was dipping toward the horizon turning the sky streaky with gold, vermillion and amber. Songbirds chirruped goodnight to their neighbours, and biting insects started to swarm around the girls. Bats skipped overhead, snapping up moths as they emerged for the night. Still the X-Girls plodded on, regardless of their blistered feet and mosquito bites. That was until they reached a T-junction that was not supposed to be there…

Whilst Blaze sat on a verge to rub her aching feet, Rogue swatted at flies with her gloved hands and Tabby tried to shake some life back into her MP3 player batteries, Kitty and Jean consulted the map. They did this quietly, not wanting to panic the others, but Tabitha overheard them whispering.

"What d'ya mean, it's not on the map!"

"What?" snapped Rogue, "you mean we're lost?"

"Fantastic," agreed Blaze, "I thought you knew where we were!"

"So did we or we wouldn't be confused," Kitty pointed out.

"Enough guys, this isn't helping," ordered Jean.

"Have ya'll got any idea where we are?" Rogue tried to grab the map, but Kitty moved it out of her reach.

"Basically, no, not really," admitted Shadowcat.

"Okay then," Tabby took charge, bustling through the others and standing at the centre of the T-junction. "Who votes we go left?" Blaze and Kitty raised their arms. "Who votes for right?" Jean, Rogue and Tabby herself raised their arms. "Right it is then," Tabby said. "Look guys, we've not seen any other people for nearly six hours. Statistically how much longer do you think we can go without running into someone?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

**Scene Seven**

_WELCOME TO BARROW _the sign said in big unfriendly letters, _POPULATION 156._ Tabitha read the sign out loud for everyone's benefit, adding at the end, "and all of them related…"

"Not exactly a thriving metropolis," Jean said.

"I've seen livelier graveyards," agreed Blaze. That description pretty much nailed the unfortunate town of Barrow. They were stood at the far end of the town's Main Street, which as a description allotted far too much glamour and significance to the dusty, uneven roadway and the miniscule selection of a convenience store, a hardware store, a lady's clothes store, a garage, a liquor store, a church and a bar. Every building seemed to be closed and shuttered against the enclosing night. Somewhere a blocked drain added flavoursome pungency to the air. Graffiti daubed the sides of buildings and any windows that were not shuttered were broken. As a town Barrow was unloved and deserted.

"What a dive," Rogue observed. "Ya'll really wanna spend the night here?"

"We don't have a choice Rogue," Kitty replied. Shadowcat hitched up her bag onto her shoulder. "It's like, totally too late to find anywhere else."

"Payphone," Blaze observed, nodding towards a solitary phone booth at the far end of the street. "We could call the mansion and get someone to bring the X-Jet."

"You kidding?" Tabby interrupted, "we'd never live it down if we went back now."

"We'll bare it in mind," Jean was more democratic, "in case we can't find anywhere that's got rooms available."

Silently everyone was hoping that there wouldn't be anywhere to stay, so they could call the X-Men and go home without losing face in front of the other girls. They were disappointed. On a street two blocks away from Main Street was a tumbled down, ramshackle detached house that sported a board outside labelled _BED & BREAKFAST ACCOMODATION – VACANCY._ The house was in darkness, except for a faint yellow glow behind the curtains of one downstairs window. It did not look luxurious, but beggars could not be choosers.

Jean tried to be optimistic as she announced, "Looks like this is the place."

"Yeah," Kitty acknowledged, "but the place for what?"

"Oh I know," Tabby grinned sardonically. "It's the place where we all get murdered in our sleep by some axe-welding maniac."

"Or where we discover a cellar full of the shallow graves of precious customers," added Blaze.

"Or where the little old woman who runs the place poisons us, chops us up and feeds us to her cats," mused Kitty.

"Wouldn't that poison the cats?" asked Rogue.

"Mutant cats," Tabby decided, "poison resistant."

"Stop it you guys," Jean protested with a shudder. "It'll be fine, just watch."

With that she marched up to the front door and rapped the wood smartly with her knuckles. The others followed reluctantly, up three wooden steps from the garden path onto a creaky veranda. At Jean's knock a curtain twitched in the room with the light, closely followed by the sound of footsteps in the hallway. There was a rattle of an old key in the lock, and the shuffle of a bolt being drawn back. Then the door opened.

Something small and agile shot out from the bottom of the door. It ran between the legs of the X-Girls and disappeared, a black smudge against a blackening night. All the girls jumped, and Kitty yelped.

"Just a cat," Jean told them breathlessly.

"That's what I'm worried about," muttered Kitty.

"Hello?" asked a gravely female voice. "Who is it?" The door still wasn't quite open all the way, and the woman behind it seemed to be clutching it like a shield.

"My name's Jean and these are my…" she hesitated, "friends. Our car has broken down and we're desperate for somewhere to spend the night."

"Oh," the woman considered this. "Oh you poor dears, come on in off the porch." She flung the door open wide to reveal a cozy, pink-and-lace hallway. "Come on in now, can't have you out on the streets after dark, not around here, no sir-ey."

"Thank you," said Jean politely, leading the way inside. Meekly the other followed, even remembering to wipe their feet on the mat. At the back of the line, Blaze and Tabby exchanged a ludicrous glance at the fluffy décor and their fluffier hostess, but quickly dropped their eyes when they saw another couple of cats glaring at them accusingly from the bottom of the stairs.

Their hostess' name was Marjorie and she was the very definition of motherly. She was large but she carried her weight regally. She wore a faded pink housecoat over her Sunday best, and her thick black hair was already set in curlers for the night. She wore costume earrings and every chubby black finger sported at least one ring. Her stocking-ed feet were in pink fluffy slippers and she smelt profoundly of cats and hyacinths.

Marjorie shooed away several more cats and sat the girls down in a plush sitting room full of comfortable furniture and house plants. She served them tea from a china tea set decorated with roses, and all the time she talked in her warm gravely voice. She babbled about how they should make themselves at home, and how nice it would be to have a houseful again. They learned she was a widow, and had started renting out rooms after her children had grown up and flown the nest.

The X-Girls tried to listen to what their hostess was saying, but the room was very warm, the chairs very comfy and they were tired from their hike. Kitty nodded off, her tea sloshing from its cup into the saucer. Whilst Marjorie's back was turned, Jean used her powers to guide the cup and saucer onto an occasional table before Kitty dropped it entirely. Someone's stomach growled noisily, causing Rogue and Jean to glare at Blaze.

"It was the cat!" the redhead protested, pointing to the big tabby that was curled up on the carpet. No one believed her.

"Oh you poor, poor dears," Marjorie bustled. "You should have said you were hungry. You must be famished! I've some special spicy chowder on the stove, all my own recipe. You stay right there an' I'll bring you all a bowl each."

"What's chowder?" Blaze asked, clutching her growling stomach in an effort to regain control of her digestive system.

"How can you not know what chowder is?" asked Jean.

"I dunno," replied the British girl. "How can you not know what Lancashire hotpot is?" Her stomach growled again and Blaze groaned with it. "It's not my fault my powers run off what I eat, I have to burn something."

"Shush!" hissed Rogue, "Blaze be…"

Suddenly there was a caterwauling outside the house, followed by a succession of rattles and bangs like a percussion solo. The noise was so loud it woke Kitty with a start. Rogue got up and went to the window. She was just about to peel back the drapes when Marjorie came back from the kitchen carrying a tray full of bowls of steaming hot chowder. When she saw what Rogue was about to do, the hostess yelped. Not only did her reaction make Rogue freeze, it sent the chowder flying into the air. Jean waved a hand to stop the hostess getting scalded, but Marjorie didn't notice.

"Don't you go lookin' out there now its dark missy! Don't you do that to yourselves!"

"We heard a noise…" Rogue started to explain.

"No, no, no," Marjorie protested. "I don't care if you heard the President himself outside callin' for you, you're too young an' sweet t'be seeing the things I've seen in Barrow after dark. Oh we're safe enough inside never you worry, but outside after dark… It's a strange and frightening world out there. I want your promise, all of you, that whatever you hear out there you won't go peeking outside!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

**Scene Eight**

They all swore solemnly to obey the house rules, feeling utterly bewildered by this woman's overreaction. As Tabby observed to Rogue on the way up to their rooms, it seemed a lot of fuss to stop them seeing that one of the cats had got into the trash cans.

Stomachs full of a surprisingly good blend of chowder, fresh crusty bread, cookies and tea, the girls were shown to two rooms on the second floor. The rooms had an adjoining door between them that Marjorie unlocked, "so you girls can gossip nicely for as long as you like." One room had two single beds, whilst the other had a double and a bunk bed. Tabby claimed the double as soon as she saw it, whilst Kitty had dibs on the top bunk. Reluctantly Rogue took the bottom bunk, whilst Jean and Blaze moved in next door.

Overnight bags were hastily unpacked and belongings scattered around the rooms. Tabby kicked off her shoes and changed the batteries in her MP3 player. Then she shoved in her earphones and lay back with her music a tinny hiss that resonated through the rooms. To Jean's amazement, Blaze simply turned her battered hold-all upside down and everything except the kitchen sink seemed to fall out.

"How did you manage to get so much stuff into one bag?" Jean asked.

"Practice," Blaze risked a worldly-wise smile. "Before I met Vixen and came to Bayville, I used to live out of this bag."

The tipping out of her stuff onto her bed was as unpacked as Blaze was ever going to be. She left Jean carefully arranging toiletries around the room's white washbasin and went next door. Scooting over Tabby, Blaze jumped on the double bed and sat with her back against the headboard. Kitty was nearly finished, whilst Rogue was at the mirror brushing her hair. When Kitty produced a stuffed toy bear with one eye missing, Blaze scoffed.

"Aren't you a bit old for cuddly toys Kitty?"

Kitty flushed and knelt back on the top bunk, "I've had him since I was a baby, Blaze. He's like totally a part of my childhood y'know."

"You mean ya'll didn't bring a soft toy?" Rogue asked Blaze. A quick glance to Rogue's bed revealed a moth-eaten white rabbit, a present to a young Rogue from Destiny. Blaze scowled; if she looked through the adjoining door there was a bubblegum pink elephant on Jean's pillow, and what was the lump she was sat on? Reaching underneath her, Blaze pulled out a banana yellow monkey. Tabby called out "Hey!" and grabbed the toy back, then went back to listening to her music. Blaze bit her lip.

"I'm surrounded," she moaned, "help!"

"You don't have any favourite toys from when you were little?" Jean pressed. She came through from next door and perched on the bottom of Tabby's bed.

"Nope," Blaze said sadly. Everyone (except Tabby) looked at her so strangely that she felt she had to quantify her answer. Shyly she added, "I lost everything in the fire."

"Oh you poor thing," the saccharine sympathy was from Jean.

"You'll have to get Gambit to buy you a bear," teased Kitty kindly. Blaze smiled.

"I can't see Rem browsing the aisles in a toy store," she replied. "He works too hard at his cool exterior, something like that would ruin his mojo."

"Oh I don't know," laughed Jean. "I think it's a good indicator of how hooked you've got a guy when you get him to do something out of character."

"What'd ya get Scott to do," Rogue asked mockingly, "stay out after curfew?" Jean blushed, making Kitty and Blaze giggled uncontrollably. "That's it," Rogue sniggered, "ain't it? You got him to stay out late. Wow, really rock 'n' roll Jean."

"It's a start," Jean told them with a shrug.

"So Blaze," Kitty asked mischievously, "how's it going with Remy anyway? Have those Cajun charms totally swept you off your feet yet or what?"

"Its good," Blaze smiled to herself, tucking a strand of her curly hair behind her ear.

"But?" pressed Rogue, sensing Blaze wasn't being totally honest.

"But…" hesitated Blaze, "I dunno… I've got my doubts, and what if I'm right?"

No one had an answer to that, and Blaze fell quiet. Changing the subject, Jean asked Rogue about life with Angel.

"Warren's a real gentleman," Rogue gushed. "He really knows how to treat ah lady."

"He does that," agreed Blaze under her breath.

"Have you managed to kiss him yet?" Kitty asked carelessly. Jean glowered at Shadowcat, but the damage was already done. The untouchable energy vampire shrugged nonchalantly, turning away so no one would see her little smile. Unfortunately she turned towards the mirror, so everyone saw it anyway.

"You have, haven't you!" exclaimed Kitty, "when? How?"

Rogue hesitated, but then replied. "When we first found Morose an' she sapped all our powers, an' we were outta phase with the mansion an' everybody…"

"Cool," gushed Kitty who was genuinely pleased for Rogue. "Was he a good kisser?"

"Kitty!" protested Jean.

"Blaze, you okay?" Tabby rejoined the conversation, tugging out her earphones and sitting up. "B?" Blaze had gone very still and she was clutching the sheets so hard her knuckles had gone white. "Hey, no burning my bed! Go set fire to your own!" Tabby slapped Blaze's hand to get her to let go. Everyone was looking at the fire elemental, everyone except Rogue who refused to meet Blaze's eyes…


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

**Scene Nine**

"Blaze?" Jean asked.

"When we first met Morose," Blaze explained; her voice husky and strained. "Angel was still my boyfriend."

"Whoa, who'd of thought you and Rogue had such similar taste in guys," retorted Tabby who had been oblivious to Rogue's revelation. "I mean, it must be the only thing you've got in common."

"Tabby shush," Kitty insisted, throwing a pillow at the blonde.

"Look at me Rogue," Blaze addressed the Southern belle. "Look at me!" Rogue deliberately did nothing of the sort, but Blaze carried on regardless. "You and Warren dumped Remy n' me because you thought we were cheating on you when we weren't. Now you're telling me that you kissed Warren? That you cheated on us! Do you even know how much of a hypocrite that makes you?"

"Ah seem to remember ya'll gave me permission, so long as Ah didn't have my powers!" Rogue snapped back. "You said Ah'd get no competition from you 'til my powers came back."

"I was being nice," Blaze argued. "I didn't mean you could kiss my boyfriend! I wanted you to get with Remy so he'd be happy and not jealous of Warren!"

"Hey calm down," Jean tried to rationalise. "It's all turned out alright, hasn't it? You said yourself Blaze, it's good between you and Gambit."

"That's not the point," Blaze fumed. She got up from Tabby's bed and for a moment everyone thought she might somehow attack Rogue. Instead Blaze marched to the window and threw it open to the night. She sat on the sill and peered down below, before starting to climb out.

"Where are you going?" Tabby asked.

"To the payphone," Blaze replied, "to call Gambit. I'm not staying here with _**her**_. I'll get him to borrow the X-Jet and come pick me up."

"Blaze you heard what Marjorie said about Barrow after dark!" Jean protested.

"I'm pyrokenetic," Blaze responded flatly. "If there's anything out there, I'll just set fire to it, alright?"

"You're two storeys up!" Kitty pointed out urgently.

"Not a problem," dismissed the former thief. Then Blaze disappeared into the night.

Blaze made her solitary way back to the phone booth without incident. The only thing she wished was that she'd brought her coat. Not only was the night chilly, but also her purse was in her coat pocket. With no money to make the call with, when she reached the phone the first thing she had to do was pick the lock on the coin box. The lock gave quickly with a bit of prodding and poking with a fiery probe. A cascade of coins tinkled out of the chamber and onto the floor. Blaze caught a handful, picked up the receiver and started dialling Gambit's cell phone number. Then, suddenly she froze. She put the received back and hung up, just as Gambit answered on the other end. Something was very wrong in Barrow…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Well I'm not going after her," Jean decreed. Shadowcat pouted, turning her pleading gaze onto Tabby.

"We can't just let her storm off like that guys, what if something happens?"

"She can take care of herself," grouched Rogue. That seemed to make Tabby's mind up more that Kitty's pleading.

"C'mon Kitty-Cat, we'll go after B ourselves," Boom Boom decided, lurching to her feet and grabbing Kitty by the elbow.

"If we're not back in twenty minutes," Kitty told Jean, "you'd better come after us." Together the two girls went to the exterior wall, and Kitty used her powers to slide them down to the ground outside. No one saw them, not even a cat. The streets of Barrow were utterly deserted. Not another living soul was seen on the way to the phone booth. When Kitty and Tabby got there the booth was likewise deserted. Shadowcat threw up her hands in annoyance.

"Now where'd she go? I thought she was going to use the phone!"

She's been here," Tabby decided, pointing to the coin box. "That lock's been damaged; someone's set fire to it to get inside."

Kitty reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out some change. She fed coins into the slot and hit the redial button on the console. It only rang twice before Gambit picked up.

"Whoever dis is, you better not hang up dis time!"

"Hang up?" Kitty asked, "then you've not just, like, talked to Blaze?"

"Shadowcat?" Now Remy was completely confused. "What's goin' on? What do you mean, did I jus' speak to Blaze? Where are you Cherie?" There was a click as Kitty hung up, and back in Bayville Gambit swore loudly. Across the other side of the bar's pool table, Logan raised a bushy eyebrow and smirked, "Does your mamma know y'know words like that?"

"Somet'ing weird goin' on wit' the girls," Remy explained. "You t'ink we should do somet'ing?"

"I think my dad wants them to have to work together," said the blonde woman who stood next to Logan, diligently applying chalk to a cue. Ilehana Xavier was the telepathic, animorphing daughter of the Professor, Wolverine's better half and now it turned out a bit of a pool shark as well. "It would be counterproductive to go bail them out." Gambit did not look convinced, so Vixen smiled. "Don't worry Remy. I'm sure Blaze will forgive you. And if she doesn't then you have my permission to blame it all on Logan."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In Barrow, Kitty put the phone down and turned to Tabitha.

"She didn't speak to Gambit, she just hung up."

"Then where the heck is she?" Tabby demanded, hands on her hips. "Blaze!" she shouted, "get over here you scrawny, pyrokenetic mpmmff, mpmhmmf, mphhffb…"

A warm hand had slapped itself across Tabby's mouth, cutting her off mid-flow. With her free hand, Blaze put a finger to her lips and shushed Kitty. Then she pointed to the darkened doorway of a shop. All three girls jogged across the street to shelter in the doorway. Kitty had barely opened her mouth to ask for an explanation when Blaze cut her off with an urgent whisper.

"Look! Up on the roof there," she pointed to the hardware store, which sported a large free-standing sign on kits flat roof. Kitty frowned, squinting to try and make out what Blaze had seen.

"Barrow's Barrows?" Tabby had missed the point and was reading the store's name from the sign. Blaze rolled her eyes and addressed the problem, "No, behind the sign, there's something up there."

"I see it," whispered Kitty, the immediately wished she hadn't as whatever it was moved from cover…


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

**Scene Ten**

The figure was humanoid, but swollen to a grotesque size. It was over seven feet tall, with a hunched posture and bowed legs. The swell of muscle around its arms and neck spoke of great strength, whilst its angular head moved from side to side as though it tasted the air like a snake. It was hard to distinguish colour in the spasmodic streetlight, but it seemed to have mottled greenish-grey skin. Weirdest of all, the mutant sported tentacles like an octopus or perhaps vines spewing forth from its back. Four of these appendages waved in the air, contorting like earthworms, each independent of the next. A flat nose with flared nostrils drew great intakes of breath as the creature shuffled towards the edge of the roof. Bleak, poisoned eyes roved the darkness relentlessly.

"Is it…hunting us?" Kitty asked breathlessly.

"Man, sure looks that way," Tabitha shuddered.

"Shush," hissed Blaze, "it'll hear you."

"What do we do," Shadowcat asked, "fight or run?"

"I don't know," Blaze answered, "I don't know…"

With three of the girls hiding in a shop doorway and the mutant lurching on the rooftop across the street, the situation was a stalemate. The creature was between the girls and Marjorie's house, blocking their escape. Just then Jean and Rogue rounded the corner and strode out into the open, heading towards the phone booth.

"No one here," Rogue pointed out.

"Where are they?" Jean was worried. As the joint-eldest (with Blaze) and the longest serving X-Man in the group, she felt she had the responsibility of leading them. Certainly the Professor would hold her most responsible if three of the others went missing.

"Maybe Marjorie's cats got 'em," offered Rogue unhelpfully.

"Y'know Rogue, all this is your fault. If you had just stayed quiet about Angel then none of this…" Jean was cut off by a colossal thump that made the ground shake, followed by the snap of a whip. The college girl screeched as she was thrown through the air. Jean landed hard against a water butt at the side of the hardware store. The barrel split, and water burst forward in torrents that flooded the street and drenched Jean.

Rogue barely had a second to look up at the huge beastie before it lunged for her too, using its tendrils rather than its arms. Reacting quickly, Rogue side-stepped then back-flipped her way out of range. The mutant growled its annoyance, taking a moment to realise it needed to walk forwards to close the gap down again. As it made a shuffling motion towards Rogue, the X-Girl's team-mates made their entrance.

Kitty, Blaze and Boom Boom burst from cover to help. Tabitha ran to offer a bedraggled Jean a hand to her feet. Shadowcat only just got to Rogue in time to phase the Southern belle through two snapping vine whip attacks. As the monstrosity loomed large over Kitty and Rogue, Tabby let rip with a cascade of thundering yellow bombs. They bounced up off the road, exploding in bright yellow flashes that caused the creature to cry out and pull back. His beady red eyes narrowed at the piercing light, whilst his tentacles flailed wildly.

Blaze, who had been dashing to help her team mates, suddenly had to dive out of the way as a tendril slammed down towards her. She dropped and rolled, but the thing had turned and was slamming down tendril after tendril upon her. Blaze rolled to the left, flinching as she looked up from lying flat on her back to see yet another tendril heading straight for her. There wasn't time to move, so she tried to brace herself. Yet the blow never came as Jean waved her hand and telekinetically stopped the descending tentacle.

Getting her feet underneath her, Blaze kicked herself upright in a deft salmon leap. Wrenching his tentacle free of Jean's mind grip, the creature turned back to the psychic and raised his colossal fist. Rogue saw the danger and ran in between Jean and the creature to distract it, calling out as she did so.

"Back off, yah great lump!" Rogue fended off two tendril attacks with a roundhouse kick, before taking Kitty's hand and phasing through the mutant as it tried to punch them. As the two girls disappeared behind the beast, it first seemed confused and then bellowed its frustration. Blaze raised her hands and sent a blast of fire across its bare midriff to stop it in its tracks. Recoiling from the flames, the creature staggered backwards. Tabitha tossed in a couple of firecrackers to further the cause, just as Jean gave the beast a telekinetic shove.

With a lurch, the creature went crashing backwards, hitting the sidewalk with a resounding thud. The paving stones cracked at the impact. Kitty ran forwards and grabbed its tentacles, phasing them halfway through the phone booth to imprison the creature.

"Is it over?" asked Tabitha.

"I think so," replied a winded Jean, rubbing her shoulder tenderly.

"What the heck is it?" asked Rogue.

"I dunno," answered Blaze, "never seen nuffin' like it."

"Anything," Kitty corrected the English girl automatically. "You've never seen anything like it."

"Whatever," Blaze shrugged, "at least we stopped it."

But they hadn't stopped it. With a show of brute strength the creature wrenched his tentacles free of the phone booth. Shattered glass, sundered metal and machine parts rained down on the street as he clambered back to his feet. Eyes glinting with fury, he grasped Jean and Rogue in his two hands a squeezed them tight around the midriff, making them yell. Kitty didn't have time to phase as a tentacle grasped her ankle, spun her upside down and shook her violently. Tabitha yelped as her hands were clamped by her sides and she was hoisted into the air. Blaze danced away from one tentacle and managed to get a blast of fire away before the same fate befell her and she was lurched away from the ground. With fury oozing from every pore, the mutant began to squeeze the breath out of his captives…


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

**Scene Eleven**

"Venu, stop!"

At those words, the creature looked around bemused. His beady red eyes came to rest upon a gathering of townsfolk, carrying flashlights. Some of them were hastily dressed, with outside coats thrown on over pyjamas and nightgowns. Some were old and weary. Some were young and full of excitement. Not one of them seemed shocked by the sight of the mutant before them.

Leading the gathering, Marjorie addressed the creature. Despite being dressed in an outdated floral print nightgown and fluffy pink slippers, her voice demanded respect.

"Venu, put them girls down right now." To the X-Girls' amazement, Venu did exactly what he was asked. He even paused to turn Shadowcat the right way up before depositing her. Marjorie nodded her approval, before saying, "That's quite enough of your mischief for one night mister. Go on, be off with you. Shoo!" She flapped an imaginary apron at the creature, which grunted and slowly trundled off into the night. Jean and the others could only watch in amazement as their foe sauntered off peaceably, leaving the girls to be surrounded by the angry townsfolk.

"I told you girls not to go out after dark!" Marjorie objected, "Now you've seen what happens. How could you be so cruel to that poor creature?"

"Us? Cruel?" Rogue was the first to find her voice. "Lady we only…"

"We thought he was a threat," Jean cut in, trying to smooth things over. "That the town was being terrorised or…something." She tailed off as Marjorie threw up her hands in disgust.

"Why would you go thinking a silly thing like that?"

"Look lady," Tabitha pouted with her hands on her hips. "This town is a dump, and you're obviously paranoid, what else were we supposed to think?" There was a murmur of voices through the crowd, as Marjorie sighed and her expression softened.

"Oh girls, I'm sorry. You weren't to know. This town is an economic disaster. There is no work, no money, not since the mine closed. That's why Barrow is a mess, not because of Venu. These days protecting him is the only reason so many of us stay. We could leave, but he's got no place else to go. It ain't his fault he's the way he is. He's been that way since all us old folk here were children, perhaps longer. He's a little slow-witted, and he don't understand that times change."

"Isn't he dangerous?" Kitty wanted to know.

"Sure, if you upset him," a young man who stood next to Marjorie said. "He'd have seeded you if we'd not come along when we did. Sucked out your energy and left you withered husks. He can't help that, it's just the way he is. To those that know him, he's not dangerous at all. At least he's not more dangerous than crossing the road, or getting behind the wheel of a car. Marjorie here, she just speaks to him like she does all us naughty boys. He knows she's the boss, same as the rest of us."

"Derren here is our mechanic," Majorie told the girls, shooting the dashing young blond a motherly glance. Tabitha was already drooling; Blaze had to elbow the other girl in the ribs to get her to close her mouth. "He'll fix your car tomorrow, then you can be on your way."

"Thank you," Jean replied sincerely, "but before we go we'd like to apologise for the trouble we've caused, and if it's okay with the others I've got just the idea how we can do that…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Eugh," Blaze moaned, dunking a paintbrush in a tin of whitewash before applying it to a wall. "Manual labour is really not my thing. I've already broken two nails. Does Jean even know how much a manicure costs?"

"Give it up B," Tabitha told the redhead. "You know this is the least we can do for trashing their town."

"I know, I know," the English girl admitted sensibly. She suddenly show her fellow painter a wicked glance. "Tabs, you've got paint on you."

"Where?"

"Everywhere!" laughed Blaze, flicking her paintbrush at Boom Boom. White paint dotted Tabby across the nose and cheek. With a laugh Tabby returned the favour, complimenting the redhead's natural freckles with white ones. In seconds a full paint-flicking flight was underway.

"Tabby and Blaze have got more paint on each other than on that wall," said Kitty as she leant on the long-handled broom she was using to sweep up the remains of the phone booth. Jean chuckled, pausing midway through telekinetically replacing one of the broken paving slabs to look over at the two painters.

"So long as some of it goes on the wall, I think we can let them off, don't you?"

"Never thought we'd get a lesson in humility in a backwater like this," said Rogue, looking up from where she was oiling a rusty store stutter. "Who'd ah thought a whole town existin' solely to look after a vulnerable mutant. Makes yah think."

"Yeah," agreed Kitty. "I just wish more humans were like the ones here."

"Venu's been around a long time," pointed out Jean. "His energy absorbing ability had dramatically extended his life span. The people here have had a long time to get used to him. Maybe in time the rest of the world will get used to us too."

"Ah hope so," Rogue admitted.

"Lets face it," Kitty said, "if anyone can make the rest of the world open their eyes and see us as part of humanity like the people here see Venu, then it's the Professor."

"Speaking o' the Professor, ain't it time we got back to our actual misson?" Rogue asked. "The car's been ready for hours."

"Did Tabitha get Derren's phone number yet?" Jean wanted to know.

"Yeah, when he dropped the car off."

"Then I guess we should head out," Jean agreed. "Just as soon as Tabby and Blaze wash that paint off. They are not getting in my car like that…"


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

**Scene Twelve**

"You're sure this is right?"

"Yes Kitty, I'm sure."

"Jean, you have to be positive about this."

"Rogue had the directions, Blaze, and the map."

"Ah can read a map Firefly, this is definitely it."

"Okay, great," said Tabby. "So the question is what are _**we**_ doing here?"

"May I be of assistance ladies?" asked the clerk, who waited patiently behind a mahogany reception desk. Sunlight streamed through stained glass windows and across the marble floor. Tropical plants rustled in the air conditioned ambience. There was a faint smell of chlorine, no doubt filtering through from a distant swimming pool.

"Um, Professor Xavier sent us?" Jean replied. The clerk's face lit up.

"Ah yes, we were expecting you yesterday but the Professor rang ahead personally and told us that you had been delayed. I trust everything is resolved now?"

"Err, yeah, thanks," replied Tabitha.

"Cerebro," muttered Rogue to Kitty. "The Professor knew where we were all along."

"Maybe he planned the whole thing," replied Kitty, before Blaze shushed them both.

"Your rooms are ready and waiting," continued the clerk. "The spa treatment menu is here, please feel free to book via the automated telephone system in each of the rooms. Dinner is served in the grand restaurant between six and nine, and breakfast is between seven and ten tomorrow morning. Do enjoy your stay…"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As Jean's SUV pulled through the gates of the Xavier Institute two days later, Gambit, Cyclops and Angel waited nervously to greet their respective girlfriends. After four days with only the other X-Girls for company, Remy was convinced that Blaze would be about ready to self-combust. His plan was to get her down to the Danger Room as speedily as possible so she could take out her frustration without spontaneously setting anyone else alight…including himself. The last thing he expected was for Blaze and the others to climb out of the car_ laughing_.

"I'll catch you guys later," Kitty called, waving a hand as she headed back towards the gate.

"Say hi to Lance for us," Blaze replied, waving back at Shadowcat.

"Ah'll ditch your bag on your bed," Rogue offered, opening the car's trunk and tugging two pieces of luggage free.

"Thanks Rogue!" Kitty broke into a run and disappeared around the corner. Jean and Blaze exchanged knowing looks whilst Tabitha helped Rogue unload the rest of the luggage.

"I'll take your bag Jeanie," volunteered Boom Boom, "you go park the car or somethin'."

"You're a star Tabitha," Jean praised her teammate. Twirling her car key round her finger she called to Cyclops, "Scott, are you coming?"

"Err, yeah I guess…." Scott said, getting into the passenger seat as Jean re-started the engine.

"Can I help with those bags?" Angel asked Tabby and Rogue.

"You're right Rogue, he is a gentleman!" Boom Boom announced, making Rogue and Angel both blush. Angel took two bags, leaving Tabby and Rogue with one each as they headed inside companionably. Blaze hitched her bag onto her shoulder and went over to Gambit.

"Miss me?" she asked, squinting up at the tall Cajun. He answered by kissing her gently on the lips, and taking her bag. Blaze took the opportunity to wrap her arms around his waist and bury her face in his shirt. He smelt good, kinda spicy. Remy smiled and used his free hand to stroke her hair.

"Ok, 'fess up," he said, "the Professor sent you fils away to get brainwashed into likin' each other, non?"

"Brainwashed? No," Blaze replied, "nothing so dramatic. It's just hard to be grouchy with them when you've been massaged, acupunctured, manicured, facial-ed, sauna-ed, and aromatherapy-ed for two days like we just have." She detached herself from him and took his hand in hers. "It's been okay, we've got to know each other a bit better I suppose. Jean's got that perfume I was after. She's going to let me try it before she goes back to college. Oh and you know that film I wanted to watch, but I'm still banned from the cinema? Well Kitty says Avalanche has a ripped copy, so she's going to borrow it off him and we're gonna watch it one night. Tabby is gonna bring popcorn, so it should be good."

"Brainwashed," Gambit confirmed to himself, letting himself be led inside. "What about Rogue? You an' her made up too?"

"Heh," Blaze laughed, "One step at a time Cajun, one step at a time!"

(Roll credits………………………………..)


End file.
